Shock absorber for vehicles



Oct. 4, 1927.

H. D. CHURCH SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES Original Filed Feb. 1923 Z w ww Patented Oct. 4, 1927,

UNITED STATES CHARLES MARCUS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD D. CHURCH, OF FAIBFIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO AND ONE-THIRD T0 RAYMOND P. LANSING,

SHOCK ABSORBER FOB VEHICLES.

Application filed. February 15, 1928, Serial No. 619,158. Renewed March -8, 1927.

My invention relates to shock absorbers for vehicles of the general type disclosed in movement of the vehicle frame and axle in.

one direction is greater than the resistance opposed to such movement in the other direction, and in which the active force producmg frictional resistance is provided to a certain extent by the thrust action of a spring with corresponding reduction of the work done by inclined surfaces such as screw threads.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are best explained in connection.

with the following detail description of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one exem lifying embodiment of the invention. A er consideiring this exemplification, persons skilled in the artwill understand that modifications may be made within the princi les of the invention; and I contemplate e employment of any structures that are properly within the scope of the appended clanns.

In. the drawings:

Fi re 1 is a longltudinal section of an" appliance embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation. Figure 3 and 4 are sectional details. Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of sufficient parts of a motor vehicle to illustrate one mode of applying the invention structure thereto.

The shock absorber structure comprises a friction plate 10 adapted to be connected or secured to a vehicle frame member such as 11 and also having an arm 12 which may be secured to the frame member by a screw 13 to prevent rotation of the friction plate; another friction plate 14 havingan arm 15 provided with a ball-end fitting 16 adapted to be connected to the vehicle axle 17 or an axle fitting 18 by means of a link '19 (Fig, 5); a spindle 20 having a member 21 nonrotatively secured in a hole in plate 10. and provided with a screw-threaded extension 22 engaged by a nut 23 to secure the spindle to \the plate, and which may at the-same time secure the plate to the vehicle frame; a relatively steep-pitch screw thread, or usually a plurality of screw threads 24, on the spindle; a nut 25 running on the spindle in engagement with the spindle threads and having a flange 26; friction disks27 and 28 between adjacent friction surfaces of the plates and the nut flange; and a housin 29 'detachably secured to the nut flan e, al of spindle and in the nut, in one direction of movement of the friction plates, and for decreasingthe effect of those parts in the other direction of movement, said means being embodied in the present example as follows:

A spring abutment or washer 35 is apertured to fit over a screw threaded outward extension 36 of the spindle, and is adjusted longitudinall of the spindle and retained in -adjusted position by a nut 37. Desirably the nut is castellated to cooperate with a cotter pin 38 passing through a hole or one of a series of holes 1n the spindle extension to lock the nut in adjusted position. The spring abutment 35 may be secured against rotation if desired by cooperating flat surfaces 39 and 40 provided on the spindle extension 36 and in the washer aperture respectively. A helical spring 45 is compressed between the spring abutment 35 and nut flange 26, and desirably the peripheral portion of the abutment Washer is dished to provide an annular spring seat 46 to prevent lateral shifting of the spring.

The screw-thread angle is usually relatively steep to insure against locking the parts in frictional engagement when the nut is moved in the clamping direction.

either case a much reduced resistance will effect to contro compression, and in such cases the'lesser frictional resistance will be exerted to check spring expansion or recoil.

Ad ustment of the sprin abutment axially also serves to regulate t e action of the appliance within considerable limits without any change in the screw or nut. Without other changes, however, the action of the appliance may evidently be changed considerably by substituting another screw and appropriate nut having threads of a differ ent angularity. n

In the above identified application, a spring is emplo ed which acts by torsional the movement of the nut,

be afforded to the other direction of movesimilar to nut in the present application,

ment of the vehicle members. In this way the shock absorber appliance can be utilized to give a maximum predetermined resistance to vehicle sprin recoll or to vehicle spring compression, wit a reduced resistance to the op osite spring movement.

umm that the appliance as viewed in Fig. 1 is coated above the vehicle axle,

when the road wheel of the vehicle encounters an obstruction tending to move the axle I upward in relation to the frame, arm 15 is moved towards the eye of the observer in Fi 1. Frictional engagement of disk 28 wit plate 14 and nut flange 26 causes the nut to rotate backward sli htl' on the spindle, and the screw threa s .t ereupon tend to retract the nut and flange slightly and to relieye pressure between the friction surfaces. A. substantial amount of friction pressure is, however, maintained during this movement by the thrust action of spring 45, which ma be adjusted as desired within considerab e limits, this spring thrust always tendin to run the nut inward on the spindle. he recoil of the vehicle spring moves arm 15 in'the opposite direction or away from the eye of the observer in Fig. 1, and after a short angle of movement required to take up any clearance between the s indle and nut threads, the angularity of t e screw threads forces the nut and nut flange powerfully toward plate 10, producing the maximum predetermmed frictional resistance to relative movement of the vehicle frame and axle, the friction efi'ect provided by the angularity of the screw threads being thissprin having no direct thrust action, although y urging the nut rotatively on the spindle it tends to move the nut axially of the s indle and thus creates a certain thrust e ort tending to produce frictional contact'of the plates. In the present case the spring has no, or only a negligible torsional effect, but has a substantial and usually a quite powerful thrust action always tending to maintain the friction surfaces of the ap liance in contact, and also serving to contro the actionof the nut so that when arm 15 moves in the direction tending to rotate the nut in the clamping direction, the nut flange and the nut move along with arm 15 and its friction plate 14, and quickly thereafter the screw action provides the maximum frictional retardation in the prescribed direction of movement. In the other direction of movement the spring thrust tends to carry the nut alon with friction plate 14, bringing the opposite faces of the screw threads in contact, and the screw action tends to retract the nut to a certain extent againstthe action of the spring and so to relieve the friction surfaces, to a correspondin degree, of pressure caused by the spring t hrust.

I claim:

1. A vehicle-spring-action-controlling apliance comprising two relatively movable riction members, a compression spring tending to urge the members into frictional engagement, and frictionally actuated means acting in one direction of relative movement of the members to amplif the frictional effect, and acting in the ot er direction of movement to reduce the frictional effect of the spring means.

2. A sh'ock'absorber for vehicles comprising two relatively movable friction plates, a compression spring arranged to exert thrust to urge the members into frictional engagement, and means including an inclined member in .fixed relation to one of the plates and a frictionally actuated pressure member cooperating with said inclined member acting in one direction of relative movement of the plates to amplify the friction of movement to reduce 'the frictional effect of the spring means. 1

ing two relatively. movable {frict ion plates, a spindle element fixed against rotation in relation to ron'e offsaid friction members to amplify )the frictional e'fi'ect produced by the inclined surface in one direction, and

to reduce the ,the other and having an operating surface inclined'to the plane of said member, a frictionally actuated pressure member cooperating with said inclined surface, and a thrust spring exerting pressure upon the pressure member tending the inclined surface acting effective thrust of the spring j in direction of movement. a

4. A shock absorber for vehicles compris ing a friction plate adapted to be connected to a vehicle member, another relatively mov-'- able friction plate adapted to be connected to another relatively movable vehicle mem-.

ber, a spindle non-rotatively secured in relation to one of the plates, a screw thread on the spindle, a nut engaging the screw thread and having frictional engagement with said movable plate and arranged to urge the plates together, and a thrust. sprmg acting on the nut and exerting pressure urging the nut to active position.

5. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a friction plate adapted to be connected to a vehicle member, another relatively movable friction plate adapted to be connected to another relatively movable vehicle memher, a spindle non-rotatively secured in relation to one of the plates, a steep pitch screw thread on the spindle, a nut engaging the screw thread and having a circular flange opposed to the second-named plate and arranged to urge the plates together, friction discs between adjacent surfaces of the plates and said flange, and a thrust spring acting on the nut and exerting thrust pressure ur ing the nut to active pos1t1on.

6. A shoc absorber for vehicles comprising a friction plate adapted to be connected to a vehicle frame member,'a spindle nonrotatively secured to the plate, another friction plate mounted for rotation about the spindle and adapted to be connected to a vehicle axle, .a screw thread on the spindle, a nut engaging the thread and having a flange confronting the last-named friction plate, a spring abutment connected to the outward end of the spindle, and a spring acting between the spring abutment and the nut flange.

7. A shock absorber for vehicles compris ing a friction plate adapted to be connected to a vehicle frame member, a spindle nonrotatively secured to the plate, another friction plate mounted for rotation about the spindle and adapted to be connected to a vehicle axle, a screw thread on the spindle,

v a nut engaging the thread and having a flange confronting the last-named friction plate, a spring abutment connected to the .3. A shockbsorber for vehicles compris outward end of the spindle, a spring acting between the spring abutment and the nut flange, and means admitting adjustment of the spring abutment 8. A shock-absorber for vehicles comprising a friction plateadapted to be connected to a vehicle frame member, a spindle nonrotatively secured to the frame, plate, another friction late mounted for rotation about thespin e and ada ted to be connected toa vehicle axle, a iction disc between the plates, a steep pitch screw threaded on the spindle, a nut engagin the thread and:hav1ng a flange confrontm the lastnamed friction plate, a friction disc between said flange and the adjacent plate, a spring abutment connected to the outward end of the spindle, and a helical spring compressed getween the spring abutment and the nut ange. v

9. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a friction plate adapted to be connected to a vehicle .frame member a spindle nonrotatively secured to the rame plate, another friction late mounted for rotation about the spin 1e and adapted to be connected to a vehicle axle, a friction disk between the plates, a steep pitch screw threaded on the spindle, a nut engaging the thread and having a flange confronting the lastnamed-friction plate, a friction disk between said flange and the adjacent plate, a spring abutment connected to the outward end of the spindle, and a helical'spring compressed between the spring abutment and the nut flange, andmeans for adjusting the spring abutment axially of the spindle.

10. In a shock absorber or spring check for vehicles a first friction plate, a second relative osclllatable friction plate, a pressure member having frictional en agement with said second plate and arrange to cause application of retarding friction between the first and second plates, a compression spring exerting thrust to urge the pressure member to frictional engagement, and an inclined actuating member in non-rotative relation to the first plate and cooperating with the pressure member so that thepressure member is actuated by frictional engagement with the second plate when the latter is moved in either direction from any operative position, and the thrust spring and inclined member cooperate to apply a maximum frictional retarding effect to the second plate having an operat' surface inclined to the surface in one direction and the inclined plane of said mem r, a movable pressure surface tendin to reduce the spring thrust 10 member co-o rating with said inclined effect in the ot er direction of movement. surface and av' frictional engagement Signed at New York in' the county of I with one of said riction members, and a. New York and State of New York this 31st thrust spring exertin pressure u on the day of January A. D. 1923.

ressure member ten to amp ify the rictional eflect produc by the inclined HAROLD D. CHURCH. 

